Content Warning: Mild intimacy

“Thallios, I got you something from the market.”

Leiyu entered the cottage where he and Thallios had been living for the last few months.  It was small and tucked away in the countryside, nestled within a copse of trees.  The nearest town was more than an hour’s journey away, and Leiyu went there once a week to buy food and supplies.  Every time he set out, he placed invisibility talismans on the cottage’s outer walls to make it invisible to passersby.  He also placed alarm talismans on the surrounding trees so that he would be alerted if anyone crossed the perimeter.  The talismans’ powers wore off after a few hours, so he always made sure to return before then.

Thallios ran to the door to greet him.  Leiyu held out a small cloth bundle and unwrapped it.  A delicate milky white ornament lay in the middle.  One end was curved like a wispy cloud and the rest of it was elongated and flat.

“Oh!  It’s beautiful!” Thallios exclaimed.  “What is it?”

“It’s a hairpin,” Leiyu replied.  Thallios’ amber eyes widened.  “I thought you might like it since you no longer wear…the other one.”  

The other one referred to the ruby and gold hair ornament that Thallios had worn when he was a prince.  When they had been on the run last year, Leiyu suggested that Thallios not wear it anymore to avoid drawing unwanted attention.

Leiyu reached out and touched Thallios’ loose bun, which was tied up with a fraying piece of cloth.  He ran his fingers down the auburn strands of hair that flowed to Thallios’ back.  “And you said it was your birthday soon, so I wanted to get you something.”

Tears glistened in Thallios’ eyes.  He wrapped his arms around Leiyu and leaned into him.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

Leiyu embraced him and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.  They stood in the doorway for a while until Leiyu spoke.  “Do you want me to help you put it on?”

“Yes, please,” Thallios breathed.

***

Thallios no longer wore his chapan.  It would have been too ostentatious anyway, with its gold threads and intricate embroidery.  After they had found this abandoned cottage and settled in, Leiyu bought Thallios a pair of linen robes from the market in town.  Thallios would alternate between the light blue and gray robes, switching them on laundry day.  Leiyu’s robes were all the same brown color, but at least with Thallios around, they got washed on a weekly schedule.

Thallios was wearing the light blue robe right now.  He sat on a cylindrical wooden chair as Leiyu brushed his long auburn hair.  Leiyu himself always wore his hair in a simple high ponytail and never decorated it with anything elaborate.  However, if there was anything he was good at, it was figuring things out.  When he was growing up in the Eastern Region, he had spent the first few years of his life living on the streets and the rest of his childhood living in a sect with his Shifu, shixiong, and shidi.  During the times he was in town, he observed the people around him and how they dressed.  The wealthier denizens had colorful silk robes with elaborate hairstyles and ornate dangling hair pieces.  He was not sure if he could recreate this, but he was going to try.

Leiyu gathered half of Thallios’ hair and lifted it high on his head to form a ponytail.  He took the ends of the hair and wrapped it around the base of the ponytail several times until it formed a bun.  Finally, he slid the jade hairpin through.  The bun did not unravel.  Success.

“Here you go,” Leiyu said, handing Thallios a small bronze mirror.  Thallios turned his head to get a reflection of his side view.  He broke out into a smile.

“It looks good on you,” Leiyu said.

“Leiyu, you’re the best!” Thallios leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.  Leiyu sighed happily and embraced him.  As he held Thallios in his arms, his mind began to wander.

Sometimes it still seems unreal, he thought.  Over a year ago, if someone told me that I’d be living with the former Prince of Ishkhandar, I wouldn’t have believed them.

He remembered the first day they saw each other in the throne room in the palace of Ishkhandar.  Thallios had been standing next to his father King Xenon and his father’s advisor Lord Oganesson.  Leiyu had been bowing with the other merchants from the trade caravan.  At first glance, he thought Thallios was a beautiful princess.  Later, when they encountered each other in the palace gardens, he found out that Thallios was not a princess at all.

A prince born into a life of luxury and comfort, brought up with all the privileges of royalty…who never even set foot outside the palace until I came along…

Like a bird in a gilded cage…

He frowned as he thought about this.  As a child on the streets, he would have envied Thallios’ upbringing.  But as a prince stuck in the palace, Thallios desired Leiyu’s freedom.

Who was then suddenly thrown into the life of a refugee after watching his kingdom burn to the ground…

We were on the run for months…it all seems like a blur now…

Fate is both cruel and kind…

He remembered holding Thallios in his arms after the battle with Samarian.  How he had wept when he clutched the lifeless body.

He died in my arms…it was the most devastating feeling…but then he was brought back to life…

He recalled Thallios clinging weakly to his sleeve after being revived by Samarian to fulfill the promise she had made to Amara to give Thallios back to Leiyu.

He’s fragile now and has lost his former powers…although to be honest, he was rather frightening as the Fire Goddess…

I promised I’d help him regain his powers…although I’m not sure how…

***

It was now nighttime.  They both lay in the small bed in the corner of the cottage.  Leiyu leaned in and kissed Thallios.  Their lips parted.  Thallios murmured as he felt Leiyu’s tongue dance on his.  After a moment, they pulled apart.

“Leiyu…” Thallios breathed.  He caressed Leiyu’s face.  “I love you…”  He leaned in and kissed Leiyu back.  Leiyu wrapped his arms around him and pulled him in closer.  He buried his face in the auburn hair and breathed in the faint scent of lavender.  It gave him a sense of calm.  Thallios had made a request during one of Leiyu’s trips to town.  Please buy some soap that smells like flowers.  Leiyu obliged since soap was just soap to him.  He remembered that the palace rooftop garden had a similar scent.  Perhaps it reminded Thallios of what he once had.

***

They were cuddled together under the blanket.  Thallios had fallen asleep, and Leiyu ran his fingers through his auburn hair.  Thallios’ head was in the crook of Leiyu’s neck and his hands were resting on Leiyu’s chest.  The jade hairpin was on the nightstand, next to the brown hair tie that Leiyu used.  Leiyu’s black hair hung loose over the wrinkled sheets.  In the Eastern Region, it was the custom to never cut one’s hair, since it was a gift from one’s parents.  He did not remember who his parents were, but he followed the custom anyway.  He gazed at Thallios pensively.

I hope you can be happy, living this simple life with me…

He kissed Thallios’ forehead and closed his eyes.

***

A puff of steam rose from the pot.  Thallios stirred it with a wooden ladle.  He was so focused on the bubbling white concoction that he did not notice when Leiyu stepped in through the door.

“Hey, I got some fresh vegetables from the market…” Leiyu said.  Thallios still had his back turned to him.  The jade hairpin was holding up his loose bun.  “Oh…are you…cooking?”

Thallios finally turned around.  “Just trying something out.”  He flashed Leiyu a smile.  “You said that I was a great cook when I was Amara.”

Leiyu’s eyes widened and his face flushed.  “Ah!  You don’t have to compare yourself to her!”

Thallios grinned.  “Oh, but…I am her.”  His face became more solemn.  “Was her…at least…”  He turned around and gave the pot another stir.  “Well, it’s a good skill to develop anyway…and this is just rice soup so it shouldn’t be too hard.”  He lifted the ladle and blew on it before sampling.  He pursed his lips.  “Hmm, it’s pretty bland.  Let’s see if there are any dried herbs in this kitchen.”  He turned back to Leiyu.  “Or you could throw in some of those vegetables you just bought.”

Leiyu laughed.  “Okay, but we have to wash them and cut them up first…”

***

They sat on the floor at opposite ends of the low table in the middle of the cottage.  Two steaming bowls of congee with green vegetables lay before them.

Thallios swirled his spoon in the congee.  “What’s this vegetable called?”

“Bokchoy,” Leiyu replied.  “At least, that’s what they call it in this part of the Eastern Region.  We call it qingcai or xiao baicai up north where I grew up.”

Thallios smiled.  “Bokchoy…the names of things here are so interesting.  Maybe you can teach me the Eastern Region script.”

“Sure, I can teach you some.  I’m no scholar though, I just know the basics.”

“Basics are fine.  And I can teach you the Western Region script.  That way, if we ever go back…”  Thallios trailed off and cast his eyes downwards.

Leiyu looked at him solemnly.  “Do you…miss home?”

Thallios shook his head.  “No, it’s fine…”  He looked up at Leiyu and smiled weakly.  “This is home now…” He began to tear up.  Leiyu walked over to his side and wrapped his arms around him.

Thallios wiped his tears away.  “It wouldn’t be the same even if we could go back…Ishkhandar’s gone. The Earth Priestess may have let us go, but the Southern Region’s forces would still be there.  And I’ve never been outside of Ishkhandar before it was destroyed, the rest of the region is completely unknown to me…it would be the same as being in a foreign land.”

Leiyu pressed his lips to Thallios’ forehead and caressed his face.  “If there’s anything you need, please tell me.  I just want you to be happy.”

Thallios leaned into Leiyu and intertwined their fingers together.  “You’re all that I need.”

As the congee cooled down on the table, they both lay on the floor staring at the ceiling.

“It’s a shame though, my father never got a proper burial like my mother did,” Thallios murmured.  “Lord Oganesson too…he also deserved a proper burial.  I can’t even imagine what their final moments were like.”

Leiyu remembered the day the invaders descended upon Ishkhandar and how King Xenon told him to protect Thallios with his life.  He remembered standing on the hill with Thallios as they saw the city engulfed in flames.  He remembered the tears in Thallios’ amber eyes.  Was the memory forever burned in Thallios’ mind?

Thallios sat up and made his way solemnly back to the table.

“Shall we eat?” he asked.

“Of course,” Leiyu replied.  He went over to the opposite end of the table and took a seat on the floor.

***

It was laundry day.  Leiyu was helping Thallios hang a sheet on the clothesline between their cottage and the trees when a ball of golden light floated towards them.  He held out his hand and the ball floated above his palm and shimmered.

“Ah, Anying sent a message,” Leiyu said.  “He’s coming to visit.”

“Oh?” Thallios said.  “We need to prepare the cottage.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it.  He’s pretty casual.”

Thallios scurried back into the cottage with the laundry basket.  Leiyu followed him inside.  He saw Thallios scrambling to tidy up and smiled.

He spent twenty-one years in the palace where he had servants do everything for him.  Just one year away and he’s already adapted quite well.

Leiyu picked up the broom that was leaning on the wall and started sweeping.  Although he grew up with Anying and was his senior, he still wanted to make a good impression on their guest.

***

Anying approached the cottage and knocked on the door.  Leiyu opened the door with Thallios standing at his side.  

Anying raised his hands in a fist salute and bowed.  “Shixiong!  Your highness!”

Thallios gave him a look.

“Ah sorry, forgot that you don’t want to be referred to as a prince anymore.  But it’s odd just calling you by your name.”

“Not at all,” Thallios replied.  “Simplicity is best.”

Anying smiled sheepishly.

“We’re glad you came to visit.  Come on in,” Leiyu said.

They went to the table and sat down on the floor.  Upon it lay a steaming teapot, three porcelain cups, and a dish of almond cookies.  Leiyu grabbed the handle of the teapot and began to pour.  He filled the cup closest to Anying first, then the cup next to Thallios, and finally the cup in front of himself.   

“I came to tell you about another job opportunity,” Anying said.  He took a sip of tea before continuing.  “Are you good at swimming?”

Leiyu and Thallios looked at each other.

“You know how you were a bodyguard of the trade caravan in the desert?” Anying said.

“Mm-hmm…” Leiyu replied.

“This is a similar job, but it’ll be at sea.  There is an extensive maritime trade route.  Spices from the Southern Region are exchanged for silks, jade, porcelain, and other goods from the Eastern Region, and coconuts and coral from the outlying islands.  The journey will take months since the ship will be stopping at various ports.  Also, there are a lot of pirates…”

“Pirates?” Thallios asked.

“They’re like ocean bandits,” Anying replied.

“Ah…”

“Anyway, the ship captains will pay a lot for protection and you’ll get to visit faraway lands.”

“Hmm, it sounds interesting,” Leiyu said.  “But I don’t want to put Thallios in danger…and I can’t leave him here by himself for months at a time.”

“Leiyu…” Thallios murmured.

“Well, you don’t have to decide now,” Anying said.  “The ships are constantly coming and going, so you can take on the job with any one of them.  Just let me know and I’ll go with you.”

“All right, we’ll let you know,” Leiyu said.

Thallios looked downward into his cup of tea as the other two continued talking.  He took an almond cookie from the tray and bit into it.  Although it was sweet, his mind was elsewhere.  He sighed.